Bride and Prejudice
by SkatingDJ
Summary: Even though the Night Howler case had been solved over two years ago, there are those that still think that predators are savage. These believers have had enough and will now make sure they are heard about the threat of predators. While chaos throughout all regions of the world ensues, Nick's dream of marrying Judy becomes a nightmare. Because how can a Fox marry a Bunny?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone, SkatingDJ here!:) I saw Zootopia twice and I have fallen into it's trance. It's a wonderful movie:3 Y'all need to see it! It's right up there with all the other Disney movies! BTW, I know, I know... but I'm not dead! I'm trying people, I've been very busy! And I know there are/will be other fanfics like this but I'm doing my own. So I hope you enjoy.**

 **Full Summary: Even though the Night Howler case had been solved over two years ago, there are those that still think that predators are savage. Whether that predators have always been dangerous, or ever since the NH case, these believers have had enough and will now make sure they are heard about the threat of predators. Who is behind all of this? While chaos throughout all regions of the world ensues and predators are found dead or taken without a trace, Nick's dream of proposing to Judy is turning into a nightmare: How can a Fox marry a Bunny? Especially with his life on the line. Relationships will be put to the test and loved ones are jeopardized; will the duo's feelings for each other win the war in the end, or is it just a big scam?**

 **Disclaimers:** **T for violence/language. No OC's (except for background characters). Pairings: Nick x Judy. I own nothing (including the cover, which I added effects to).**

 **Enjoy!:)**

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Ever since the Crime of the Century (alias of the Night Howler or Missing Mammal Case), officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde have been _very_ busy.

Since the ZPD is at the heart of the city in Savanna Central, it's their job to take care of everything going on everywhere. Of course, there are other police departments, but it's a confederate system which means that ZPD makes the rules and does most of the work. Being ranked Best Officers, Judy and Nick get almost every top case filed at the ZPD. In other words, they are in charge of the most difficult tasks in all of Zootopia. It certainly keeps them light on their feet, neither one of them could have guessed how many crimes or mishaps could occur in each district. From road racers to thieves, to missing and/or injured animals, Judy and Nick were on the case. Luckily, the only crime that never seemed to crop up were murders. The golden ranked assignment... a golden medal you _do not_ want to have.

Speaking of gold, Nick has been doing a little treasure hunting himself lately.

Even though they have been very busy, Judy and Nick always find time to spend quality, personal time together. It's already been two years and time has flown by faster than Pierre Green (the fastest animal in all of Zootopia, AKA "the Fast Falcon"). However, so much has happened to the duo besides being up to their eyeballs in work. For one, they could now both afford decent homes in Savanna Central, Judy was able to move out of her dingy apartment and Nick didn't have to live on the outskirts of town anymore. On Nick's side of the story, his con-work and tax violations were history (but Judy still got some mileage on it). He was now a clean, full-time cop. Finnick though still continued on his dirty work by himself. For Judy, things could never be better, she was successfully living the life of her dreams.

And it was even better with Nick in it. _So_ much better... and Nick felt the same way.

Their "quality, personal time" was majorly spent going out to eat together or hanging out at each others' apartments. Secret Little Dates, if you will. They never spoke of their secret relationship with anyone, the only animals who knew were Judy's parents, but Judy told them her boyfriend was another fellow bunny, or else she would have to hear them toss their carrots if they knew the truth. At first, Nick was pissed off about Judy lying to both him and her parents, but they agreed that the truth would be told eventually. The only other group of animals who knew about the relationship was the ZPD. It was pretty obvious to them and they supported their relationship, but they were all wary.

The problem was this: A _Bunny_ , and a _Fox_. Let alone the fact that they were predator and prey, the two animals were of opposite species. It had never been done before. It was new, daring, _different._ Even if they were simply holding hands through a park, they would get _many_ stares. Was it legal? Well, both Hopps and Wilde backed up their claim by saying that there was no rule stating that two animals of opposite species _could not_ be together. There was no issue here.

Judy and Nick have been together for over two years and nobody complained. They have gone on 30 dates, openly kissed each other numerous times in public, and made love once (that was quite the event), but they never told anyone that they had shared physical romance. _Who knows what could stir up if that got around?_ There was nothing stopping them from being an official couple. Nick simply couldn't live his life without Judy, he loved her to the ends of the world. She was his other half, his better half. Her beauty, bravery, determination and spunk had worked its way into his life and now he couldn't live without her. Now, he wanted to make it official.

He probably should have looked into buying an engagement ring beforehand, but to be fair, he had only made his absolute decision last week and was not going to be patient and hang around being "engaged". Besides, there was no law stating that one had to be engaged before getting married. (Nick took pleasure in finding laws like these, being an officer had it's advantages!) He could pop in Ferret's Galleria of Jewelry during lunch break right as the shop opened, then get a quick lunch at Subwheat (one of Judy's favorite delis, but Nick himself didn't fancy it too much) for him and Judy as the bunny always worked overtime. She wouldn't even know. The surprise was going to be perfect.

"Alright everyone, you are dismissed for lunch break. I expect everyone back here at twelve forty-five." Chief Bogo said as he stored his file underneath the podium and exited outside through the back door, making eye contact with everyone before his leave.

Groups of burly animals shuffled out of the small gathering room, pleased with themselves as they went out to fetch a well deserved lunch break.

"Hey, Cutey Carrots," Nick began to Judy who was still packing up files. He was the only other animal besides other bunnies who Judy accepted being called 'cute' from, "Are you gonna stay? Do you want me to grab something at Subwheat for you?"

"Yeah, I'll be here," Judy responded as she sighed before slipping the last file into her sack. Sadly, there has been less action and more paperwork nowadays, not really her department. She was so glad Nick was there for her, "That would be great if you could do that for me. See you soon!" She finished sweetly as she gave a quick kiss to Nick's cheek before hopping off of her seat and bounding out of the room and down the hallway.

Nick sighed with content before snapping into action. He had to make some mad hustling happen if he was going to cover the time it would take him to get a ring. The finest gems were located deep beneath the earth in Sahara Square, there were imports to the Downtown City of Zootopia of course, but Sahara had the real deal. Luckily for Nick, the Square was the next town over and last night he had coordinated the trolley patterns, cabby hours, and monorail schedules perfectly so he could make record time. He did this along with picking out the perfect ring for Judy, already ordering it online so it would be already packaged for him. The anticipation was making him slightly giddy, but also sick to his stomach.

 _Don't worry, Nick. Breathe. Everything will work out fine._

As Nick walked into the open Central City and spotted the trolley heading to the train station, he picked up speed and made chase to the trolley and was able to cling onto the railing as he hung outside onto the back. He whipped out his sunglasses and howled as the trolley weaved in and out of crowds of animals. Sure, not the finest police roll model, but he was on break. He loved feeling the wind fly through his fur as the sun beaming down brightly on the world beneath it. Usually, Nick would scoff at things like this, Judy would be the one to take pleasure in it. But today, everything was going to be wonderful. It was a lovely day to get married...

Before the trolley even came to a complete stop, Nick had already hopped off the trolley and dashed towards the monorail station, dodging other animals and avoiding crowds like a weasel. When he got to security, he couldn't help but slyly smirk at everyone waiting in line. Since he was a cop, he got a special warrant that allowed him to skip all the lines and get a free ticket on the train. He was totally living the good life as a police officer. Who knew?

Nick was on the monorail in no time. He nonchalantly leaned against a railing and took out his phone to text Judy that he was going to be a little late.

 _Hey Judy, Central is SUPER busy and Subwheat line is REALLY long, lunch might come late. But I'm getting your favorite! Luv u;)_

What? An innocent lie means no harm done. Besides, it was a lie for the greater good! Nick then minimized the Call screen and opened up the Internet Tab and pressed on a number that he had downloaded previously.

"Sahara Taxi Services, wha' can I do ya for?" A male Aussie voice from the other line chanted in an slick yet upbeat attitude.

"Hello sir, can I have a taxi waiting for me at the Grande Central Monorail Station?" Nick responded, checking his watch.

"Yes, sir! Name?"

"Wilde, Nick Wilde."

"Aye, Mr. Wilde. I shall be waiting for ya at the station!"

"Thanks, sir."

Nick pressed 'end' and put his phone away and gazed outside the window with a content smile. Everything was working accordingly! Ahead was the orange and desert land of the Sahara as the lush and city life of Downtown disappeared behind him. Nick had to admit, it was inspiring. All of it was, everywhere you looked. Just seeing all these grand cities really did make you feel like you could be anything. With so many great animals to meet and neat places to go, life at Zootopia was a dream come true. Now Nick understood what Judy must have felt like when she first came here. Slightly overwhelmed, but it was promising and awe-striking. Nick even struggled to find the right words to describe it all.

The monorail soon came to a halt as Nick squeezed himself to the front and exited the train once the doors slid open. He checked his watch once more and was pleased to see that it was just over twelve ten. He followed the crowd downstairs to the departure docks and trailed down the lines of cabbies. In the distance, he saw a fairly large sized kangaroo with spiky, caramel coffee-shaded fur holding a sign that read, "Mr. Wilde." Nick picked up the pace and greeted himself to the driver.

"Okay, Mr. Wilde, where to?" The kangaroo said as he adjusted his rear-view mirror and smacked on-what appeared to be- his (probably regurgitated) lemon-zest flavored gum.

"Jackal's Galleria of Jewelry." Nick ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The kangaroo pulled into reverse and sped out into the dry streets of the Sahara.

Even though it was hot, dry, and rocky, it was still impressively interesting to see. The Sahara Square was one big desert oasis that contained lush life in it's severe climate. It still retained many modernized buildings and many intricate sculptures of poised red rocks. One of the city's trademark landscapes was the Palm Hotel which of casinos and bars, being that the Square was famous for it's nighttime activities. It was a ginormous and beautiful glass building in the shape of a palm tree. All buildings were made of glass or clay to bear through and survive the harsh sunlight. Many camels, jack rabbits, kangaroos, lizards, snakes, ostriches, and other variety of birds, mammals and reptiles passed down the streets. They too seemed to be enjoying the weather. Nick remembered the first time he came here. It when he brought Judy to the Mystic Springs Oasis, the naturist club when they first met... good times! (Nick still remembered how uncomfortable Judy was seeing all those naked animals.)

"So, Mr. Wilde, what are ya lookin' for at Jackal's this afternoon?" The kangaroo spoke up.

"Getting a ring for my gal." Nick said, failing to hide his pride.

The kangaroo's eyes lit up as he let out a chuckle, "That's wonderful news, Mr. Wilde! Engagement, or marriage?"

"Marriage."

"Well, best of luck to ya, sir. I can't think of a reason why she'll say no." The kangaroo tipped his hat with gratitude.

 _I hope so._ Nick wondered, because what if Judy _did_ say _no?_ Nick really had not thought about a negative outcome. He would be devastated and crushed if Judy said no! What if she wasn't ready to marry? What if she wasn't interested in that sort of thing? But then, what if she said yes? What would her parents say when they found out about his true identity? Of course, there was no law stating that you had to have a parent's blessing to get married, but they would hate him and their own daughter if they disagreed! In fact, how would the whole world react if they found out about the marriage? It was unheard of! A fox and a bunny in love? Let alone to be married? It made Nick cringe to think of the consequences, but he loved Judy and nobody was going to tell him otherwise.

"Here we are, sir! Jackal's Galleria of Jewelry!"

Nick jumped slightly, being snapped out of his thoughts. "U-uh, thank you... Mr.-?"

"Aster." The kangaroo nodded, "Ye can call me Aster! Do ya want me ta wait 'ere outside for ya?"

"Yes please." Nick asked as he got out of the cab and adjusted his tie. He nodded at Aster before heading into the shop, a soft bell chiming as he stepped into the cool, empty building.

Nick huffed and inspected the small shop. The carpet was a red wine velvet and the color of the walls was a vanilla creme custard, small lights glowed inside the dim room that was lined with booths containing precious gems. The air was dry yet slightly cool from air conditioning and the only sound in the room was the sweet, calm hum of jazz music by the Beatles and the pat of Nick's feet against the carpet. The only other thing adorning the room were a few pictures hanging on the walls, the front desk, and a door that led to the back.

Nick walked up to the front desk and cleared his throat, "Hello?" He called out, his voice deeper as it echoed off the walls.

"Are you Mr. Wilde?" A female British voice said from underneath the desk.

Nick frowned and leaned over the desk to find a small, older looking yet posh jackal climbing up a stool. She was slightly bony and had gruff dirty-blonde fur and wore a black dress suit along with a pair of black pressed pants. On her right eye, she wore a single spectacle that was connected to a golden chain that was also attached to a golden watch that was tucked away in her breast pocket. She was very well groomed, her fur shiny and gelled back in the right places, she must be the manager.

"Y-yes I am! Are you Ms. Jackal?" Mr. Wilde said, once he got his bearings.

"I am, but please, call me Emmy." The lady jackal said in her elderly voice with a small twitch of her pink nose before letting out a squeaky laugh, "My name isn't actually Jackal. It's Emmy Ralds. My husband is the creator of Jackal's, and his name is Sasha Phire. But no matter! Are you here for the wedding ring ordered last night?"

"I am." Nick stated as he leaned on the booth.

Emmy hummed with marvel as she reached down underneath the desk, "It's a beauty, Mr. Wilde. You're girl sure is lucky."

"More like _I'm_ the one that got lucky." Nick said with a smile as Emmy took out a stylish, fancy lavender felt covered box.

"So, when are you tying the knot?" Emmy asked kindly as she giggled and placed the small ring box in a bag with tender care.

"Tonight." Nick simply said.

Emmy's eyes gleamed like diamonds as wonder sparked in her mind, "Oh, excuse me, but I must ask how and where?" Her fur then slightly bristled with embarrassment, "I swear, I won't show up, I-"

Nick held up a paw and answered, "Gazing across the lake that surrounds the town, the city lights reflecting off of the surface of the water." Even thinking about the scenery made Nick's heart flutter.

"How romantic..." Emmy drawled, "I wish you the best of luck." Emmy finished as she completed packaging the ring.

"Thank you." Nick replied as he waved goodbye to Emmy and headed out the door, staring at his package with glee and holding it with utmost care.

He viewed it online last night and memorized everything about it; It was a stunning and beautiful ring. A solid 24 Carrot Gold ring, thin and delicately fragile, yet very visible and sturdy. The golden ivy pattern on the ring was entwined and laced with gorgeous shimmering diamonds and right in the center was a small, perfectly cut amethyst that was the shade of Judy's eyes. It was perfect for his Judy, the anticipation was making his chest burst. The ring cost quite the pretty penny but it was well beyond worth it.

Nick walked back into the cabby and told Aster to drive him back to the station as fast as possible.

Halfway there, Aster asked a question that Nick did not want to answer, "So, what'cha gal look like? Pretty hot foxy, right?"

Nick's eyes went slightly wide as his face fell, he hated getting caught! He gulped and took a breath, "I guess you could say that," he coolly lied, "Real pretty..."

Thankfully, the conversation ended right there since they had already arrived at the station. Nick generously paid Aster the money and got the heck out of there. He was quite a nice fella, but with luck maybe he wouldn't have to encounter him again. Once Nick got on the monorail, he checked his watch, "Twelve twenty-five." Nick pursed his lips, he was cutting it close. He unlocked his phone and dialed the number to Subwheat to order ahead, right now, every second counted. He should be at the ZPD at forty-five... shoot! He and Judy would barely get the opportunity to eat! But he promised he'd get her favorite, he'd make it work somehow.

The moment the doors opened, Nick ran out of the station and caught up to the closest trolley that was his ride. Mostly, trolley rides were for free for anyone, but you still had to pay a small discount fee. Nick wanted to savor the couple dollars to make up for the couple thousand he just spent a few minutes ago. He shadily hid behind the meaty leg of a fellow elephant; the driver didn't even see him. Nick still kept his no-good but innocent mischief intact, it was useful. It was convenient for him this time around. But Nick's mind didn't dwell in dollars for long, his mind had drifted back to the bunny whom he loved so much.

At first, he couldn't stand Judy. She was just another sweetly innocent, over-positive, sickly dreamy Misses Goody Two-Shoes. And of course, a downright _dumb_ bunny, and seeing it coming from her was simply priceless and pathetic. But she quickly earned him his respect. She was clever, determined, and brave. Most of all, she was caring. She always tried to seek out the best in everything and she never gave up. She always meant good, but could be quite scary when she was threatening you when she had the power. Not to mention she was stunningly beautiful. Nick felt like the most special animal in the world to be her boyfriend. He could always rely on her, and he was always going to be there for her. They made the perfect pair. She was the full package. He couldn't live without his Judy.

In the midst of his thoughts, Nick almost missed his stop and almost got caught. But he managed to get off with ease as he landed right in front of Subwheat. Luckily, there was no line. He made his way to the cashier and ordered the Classic Carrot Sub and the Insect Platter to-go orders he called in for previously. They beckoned him to wait one moment (which Nick growled with dismay), as he went over to the counter to wait and text Judy that he was on his way soon.

Nick couldn't help but notice everyone in the deli gathering around the flat overhead screen TV where there was a News Alert.

The two news casters, a snow leopard and a moose appeared onscreen as the female leopard began to speak, "A dead jaguar has recently been found in his home in the Rainforest District of Zootopia. A fellow neighbor had discovered the dead body and alerted officials immediately. We take you to the scene of the crime-"

The screen switched over to a over-head shot of the Rainforest District to show the dark and fruitful forest that was swamped with police cars and ambulances. _Shoot!_ Nick thought, _I'd better get to work ASAP._ They probably needed him right now. But before Nick could grab his lunch, something forced him to take a closer look at the home of the crime scene as something felt oddly, awfully familiar about that place. Nick began to slowly count the things he felt _familiar_ about that certain location.

 _A long bridge, huge lone tree, foggy climate- and does that sign say Tajunga and Vine? OH NO._

"The identity of the victim has been identified as Renato Manchas. A black jaguar that was once a private chauffeur to Tundra Town's most feared crime lord, Mr. Big. It appears that he had been brutally beaten to death within the past forty-eight hours. However, reports have shown that there are no leads to the murderer. Chief Bogo of the ZPD has more-"

Nick could only stand still in utter horror as he flat out ignored Chief Bogo's speech on the television. All thoughts instantly left his mind as he could only think about one thing; _Mr. Manchas!? The_ Manchas!? He couldn't believe his ears which were now pressed back on his head. Nick and Judy had become loyal friends (or even considered family since Judy was the godmother of Mr. Big's granddaughter) of Mr. Big and had also become friends with Mr. Manchas. A _friend_ of his was _dead._ He _knew_ this jaguar! Nick knew everybody of course, but this was different! He _cared_ for this jaguar, and he was dead! His heart clenched with grief as he began to feel slightly lightheaded. The sheer news of it all crashed into him like an overweight elephant. He didn't know what to do! He almost didn't hear his cellphone ring-

Nick fumbled with his phone as he struggled to obtain it from his pocket, he glanced at it and finally clicked "answer" with shaky fingers, "Judy?"

"Nick!" Judy's voice rang from the other line, it was breathless and distraught, "Where have you been!? I was getting worried!"

Nick's gut wrenched with guilt, he opened his mouth to speak but Judy cut him off.

"Did you see the news?"

"Yes..." Nick replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"Who would do something like this to Mr. Manchas?" Judy cried, Nick could hear her voice slightly cracking.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm coming right over, stay where you are!" Nick shouted distantly as he grabbed his to-go lunches in a flash and bolted out the door, not even bothering to catch a trolley but hailing a taxi and making it drive to the ZPD at full speed. "Everything will be fine." Nick finished as he clicked his phone shut as he was still on the line.

This was going to be a long case, and as much as Nick hated it with all his heart... the proposal would have to wait.

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 **So? How was it? Did y'all like it? Please leave me a review and let me know:) Peace!**

 **-SkatingDJ**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone!:) Before we begin, I'd just like to give a very special thank you to all of the outstanding support. It's incredible, really. I seriously can't believe you guys!XD Never before have I gotten so much love for one chapter, it makes me so happy to see that you like it already. Hugs and kisses to all of you!^.^ So here is an update for all of you... and, oh yeah, it's my 15th B-day today:3**

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Nick burst through the doors to the ZPD and was more than shocked to find that he was almost trampled over by a stampede of chaotic officers that were rushing about, all trying to sort out the latest crime. Nick took his luck and made a dash for the conference room, sending a frantic wave to Benjamin who was furiously pounding away at his laptop's keys and trying to resist the temptations of his uneaten bag of powdered doughnuts. Everyone was in a panic; this was the first murder in years and under Nick's profile, the most important murder their will ever be. Nobody was going to get away with murdering Mr. Machas, not under his and Judy's belt. Not to mention for busting in on his plans to marry Judy!

Once Nick made it to the other side of the central room, he threw open the door to the conference room and almost yelled when a pair of small yet strong arms wrapped themselves around his neck.

"Nick!"

"Judy," Nick said with relief.

Judy released Nick, her arms still slung around his shoulders (on her tip-toes), "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice laced with genuine concern and her eyes shimmering with worry.

"I'm fine," Nick replied, he didn't bother asking Judy if she was, because she clearly wasn't. "Don't worry, we'll solve this." Nick tried to say in a confirming tone.

Judy simply nodded as a stern look rested upon her face. For the past hour, she had been a total emotional wreck. She didn't cry (thank goodness), but she was close to. Judy had never experienced somebody she knew dying. She had never truly felt the heartache, grief, and overwhelming sense of dread cloud over her heart and soul. While Manchas was not a family member or anything of the sort, he was somebody Judy cared about. He was a dear friend. If anything, Manchas considered _them_ family. He seemed to be slightly lonely by himself in his large home, and he seemed so happy whenever Nick and Judy were able to see him. It baffled Judy of how and why anyone would be after his blood. Judy cared for Manchas and was determined to solve the case. _No more tears,_ Judy said to herself harshly, _be civil, be like Nick-_ Judy's thoughts came to a slow standstill. Nick was handling it so well. She had detected his shock and grief over the phone, but now Nick seemed to be alright (but she could sense that this still affected him). His emotions didn't seem to overwhelm him, it looked like... as if... Judy wondered... _had Nick ever lost someone he cared about?_ That was something she would have to ask him later, but now she had to focus and be the tough officer that she was.

Hand in hand, Nick and Judy went to the front of the room and shared their seat at one of the tables. Even as they settled into their seat, Judy still kept a (very) tight grip on Nick's hand. Nick frowned and leaned in for a kiss, but the back door was burst open as the rest of the officers barged into the room. Nick backed off immediately and stared straight ahead, not wanting to seem unprofessional (or be embarrassed) in front of his coworkers. Chief Bogo then entered the room as everyone saluted before taking a seat. Everyone took note that the Chief looked like he was ready to flip the podium, he seemed to be having a pretty rough day. The thin file of papers Bogo was carrying also uneased everyone, the thinner the files, the harder the case was going to be. _Great._

"Alright everyone!" Chief Bogo announced, "As you all should know, we have encountered a murder in the Rainforest District. This is our top priority until it is solved. Now, I can't have you all panic. We need to solve this case just like any other, but of course with more care. We need to find the killer and bring him to justice as soon as possible." Chief Bogo snorted and glared at everyone who just nodded, Bogo then opened his file case and couldn't help but wince, there were barely any sources to solve the case! Bogo sighed and whipped out his glasses and began reading, "Mr. Renato Manchas, class predator, a middle-aged male black jaguar. As tests have shown, Manchas has been deceased for at least forty-eight hours and has presumably been beaten to death."

"By who?" An officer called out.

"We don't know." Bogo answered.

"Do we have any other leads?" Another shouted from the back.

"Not particularly." Bogo responded.

"But why?" A third asked.

"That's what we are here to find out," Bogo growled with annoyance. "I know this is very difficult and different for all of us, but we cannot dismay. We have means to solve the case. This is what we are here for at the ZPD, we are officers and will not cower down to any case, these things happen and we have to be ready to do it."

Everyone went silent, the Chief was right, as much as they all hated it.

Bogo then slapped the file case shut, they had better get started. "Team One: Trunkaby, Spitz, Adam! You three head down to the computer lab and search the camera database for any suspicious activity in the Rainforest District within this past week-"

A warthog, llama and pig got up from their seats and filed out of the room to head to the lab. Nick smiled to himself, if those three didn't have a proper police permit, they would have to hit the boiler room!

"Team Two: Fangmeyer, Link, Higgins! You guys hit the archives in the basement. Check on any information classified under Machas' name. Notify me if you find anything-"

With a low whine (working in the archives was not a flattering job), a white wolf, a zebra and hippo rose from their stations with reluctance and exited the room to the basement.

"Team Three: Anderson, Snarlof, Wolford! I want you all to go to the Morgue and check with the morticians, the coroner, nurses and scientists and check Manchas' body and see what else could have been the cause of Machas' death-"

Two polar bears and a wolf stood up and left the room, trying to hide their grimaces... because who thoroughly enjoyed going to the Morgue?

"Team Four: Humps, Francine, McHorn! Go wherever you need to go, but keep the Press under control."

A camel, elephant and rhinoceros stood up, nodded, and headed out the door. As silly as it sounded, the Press could be quite a scary force and needed to be contained, it was an important job.

"Team Five: Delgato, Grizzoli, Joe! You guys head to the Rainforest District and check out the crime scene, see what else you can dig up-"

This was a decent job; a tiger, lion and jaguar rose from there seats and hurried out of the room, eager to get started on their investigation.

Now, only Nick and Judy remained.

"Team Six: Wilde and Hopps," Chief Bogo stared at the last remaining team, "I need you two to explore the Rainforest and note anything suspicious. Talk to anyone you can, knock on their doors and interrogate them if you have to. I _specifically_ want you to search for the neighbor that reached us about Manchas."

Nick and Judy nodded in unison.

Chief Bogo gathered his things and walked in front of the duo and slid the file case to Judy before he headed for his office, but not before saying, "I know Manchas was a friend of yours, do not let us down." He nodded with fierce eyes that yet held hopefulness, "Good luck, you are dismissed."

"Yes, sir." Nick and Judy mumbled as the door to the Chief's office slammed shut.

"Well," Judy began, "let's go."

* * *

It took a little while to reach the Rainforest District. Approximately forty minutes on the monorail. Judy sat on a seat cross-legged and gazed sadly out the window. Nick clasped onto a railing strap and continuously stared at the floor. Fortunately, they had snagged an empty compartment so it was just the two of them alone in their area. The two partners didn't talk all the while, eating their to-go lunches from Subwheat. But either one of them didn't have much of an appetite. They were too busy mulling over recent thoughts. Unbeknownst to them, they were both thinking of the same exact thing.

Judy was trying to focus on solving the case, but couldn't help but dwell into thinking about death and if Nick had ever gone through with it. (Being in love with somebody sure was distracting!) She was wondering if she should say something, but ultimately kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to be rude at a time like this.

Nick's mind ended up going off to death as well. Maybe if a friend of theirs hadn't died, it would have been easier to focus on the task at hand. Nick didn't have a loved one die since he was a teen, the death of Manchas really hit home for him, he wondered how he was keeping up in Judy's eyes. She seemed to be doing pretty well, but she really seemed distracted...

"It's just so shocking," Judy blurted out suddenly, her voice slightly slurred and forced as she turned her head towards Nick. "I never really had anyone I knew die before."

"Really?" Nick asked as he stared at his partner, he didn't know whether to be surprised or not. "You seem to be holding up pretty well." He said in an honest opinion.

"Thanks, you too." Judy said without really thinking.

Once those words passed Judy's lips, she immediately regretted them, and not just because Nick's ears slightly flopped down as his gaze turned to the opposite window. _What was I thinking!?_ Judy scolded herself, _oh sweet cheese and crackers, I shouldn't have said that!_

"I'm so sorry, Nick. Please just forget I said that-"

"No, no, it's alright, Carrots." Nick sighed, "It's a really long story."

Judy bit her tongue. In the past two years, Judy and Nick learned a lot about each other. But one really sore subject that was never really discussed was about Nick's past. _Perhaps this had something to do with it?_ Judy felt like slapping herself as a sensation of intrigue and wanting to know came into her mind, but she had already done enough damage. She would be the dumbest bunny ever known to Zootopia if she asked-

"It was over a decade ago when my mother died and I had to make a living on my own," Nick paused, he had never really talked about his past life with Judy, and here he was just babbling about one of the most crucial turning points in his life! But he couldn't stop now, she had the right to know.

"My father, John, left my mom before I was born, I never knew him. So when my mother died, I was on my own. At first I felt really bad because ever since the ranger scout incident, I had become an entirely different fox, and I think my mom was really saddened by that. But I took off with the little money she left in her will and lived on the streets. I was on my own. However, luckily, Finnick found me and we started our con-business for the next twelve years. He really saved my life, actually."

Nick hesitated as he glanced over at Judy to find that she was wearing a mortified expression. Nick scoffed under his breath, _bunnies were so emotional,_ but he appreciated that she cared so much.

"And then," Nick continued, "I met the cutest and sweetest little bunny in the entire world and she changed my life forever."

Nick let out a short laugh and leaned down to give Judy a kiss before standing back up and placing his silver shades on his snout, pleased that he got that out of his system.

Judy swallowed hard and huffed as she looked up, trying not to blink as tears made her vision misty. She never knew that about Nick. He had no parents? Judy just assumed that his mother was still alive, and Judy never thought about Nick's father. She never thought how Nick got started into his con-work either. Nick was lucky that Finnick came along... if he hadn't, well, there was a chance that Nick wouldn't be here today. It all fell into place and made too much sense.

"I'm sorry." Judy whispered as she took her eyes off the ceiling to look at her lover.

"Hey, don't be." Nick said nonchalantly, waving a paw. "You had the right to know."

Unlike the first time Nick shared something sensitive (on the gondola two years ago), Nick didn't get embarrassed and distract them with something else, his voice didn't waver, and his eyes didn't flicker once. Which is something Judy noticed and genuinely respected. _He really was comfortable with her..._

Judy glanced outside again to find that they were coming to a stop as the monorail began to pull into the station at the Rainforest District. The style was similar to the station in Downtown Zootopia, except it was a hallow tree. One of the biggest trees you could find in the district. Each monorail entered the tree station through a tree branch (which was hallow of course) and served as a tunnel, directing each monorail to the proper stop. Since there were two monorails, there were four branches sticking out of the tree trunk. These branches were easily big and sturdy enough to carry the weight. Inside the station was almost an exact replica of Downtown Station. If fact, every station was similar, except each had their own environmental touch. For example, here, everything was made out of wood (redwood, oak, maple, etc.) and natural sunlight filtered through the ceiling... if you could call it a ceiling. Since it was a tree, the roof was nothing but leaves. The leaves allowed the warm and humid air to flow through the station and have sunlight spread it's light throughout the trunk, but the leaves were patterned in such a way that rain could not pass through. It was quite beautiful and cleverly constructed.

When the slide doors opened, Judy and Nick walked out and headed towards the exit to begin their assignment. Outside, there were four means of transportation: the gondola, air boats, motorbikes, or an off road terrain vehicle. It was already late afternoon and each of the transportation choices were cringe-worthy and daunting, especially in this environment. Gondolas were too slow, air boats didn't have access to everywhere in the district, the off-road cars were going to be a hassle (because bunnies were bad drivers), and Judy had never driven a motorbike, much less even ride on one, or touch one for that matter...

Nick suddenly spoke up, "The motorbike it is then!" He said as he began to walk over to a motorbike.

" _What!?"_ Judy squawked, fearful and stunned at the same time.

"Come on, Cottontail, it's not that hard!" Nick wheeled the bike out of it's station and smoothly slid into the seat. "Now hop in the back-" He said and picked up Judy before plopping her down at the edge of the back seat and placing a heavy and bulky helmet atop her head.

The helmet was so heavy, Judy's head lolled to the side as her neck could barely withstand and support the weight and she almost fell of the bike. She adjusted the helmet after a while and gasped when she realized how close in proximity she was to Nick. She couldn't see the front the least bit and she felt like she could tip over any minute, Nick was literally and physically the only support she had.

"Hold onto my waist tightly..." Nick advised, the tone in his voice suggesting, _"don't be shy, Carrots."_

Judy hesitantly reached out and wrapped her thin arms around Nick's equally thin waist. She leaned onto his back and gently snuggled into the hold. This part actually wasn't half that bad... but then without warning, the motorbike began to drive and speed up, _fast._

There was only one thing running through Judy's head: _Aaaaa!_ Like she had mentioned before, Judy had never been on a moving motorbike, much less touch one. This was an entirely new experience. A horrifying one. Nick had to have gone from 0-50 in only a couple of seconds and the muddy and unbalanced terrain was certainly not making Judy's first time a memorable one. Judy constantly bounced on her seat and the wind tossed her ears around. Judy seriously thought she was going to fly off at any moment, so she kept squeezing her arms around Nick's waist even tighter. She was surprised that she wasn't making Nick puke up his lunch, but she wouldn't be surprised if they were totally shattering the speed limit.

"Slow it down!" Judy shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice getting lost in the violent wind blowing past her.

"We're just hitting forty miles an hour, Judy!" Nick yelled back, miraculously hearing her voice. "Just try to relax a bit, it'll be over soon! Don't worry, I've driven motorbikes before!"

"Judy couldn't decipher whether that comforted her, or made her more skeptical. How many details, big or little, did Judy not catch about Nick? She thought she knew everything... now she wasn't quite so sure. Judy hugged Nick closer to her and buried her face into his back, her eyes clamped shut and wishing that the awful ride would be over soon...

…

"You can let go of me now."

"Judy? You alright?"

"Hey, Carrots, you can let go. We stopped."

 _Poke. Poke. Nudge. Pat. Pat. POKE!_

"OFFICER HOPPS, SIR!" Judy suddenly shouted before squealing at the top of her lungs to feel the sensation of falling.

Nick let out a quick gasp as he saw Judy fall of the motorbike but it quickly turned into a boisterous laugh in which he had to put a paw over his mouth, but he couldn't contain it. Judy was certainly a riot sometimes, that was his girl!

Judy shook the helmet off her head and got off the ground, flicking off the soil on her uniform. She watched Nick laugh and folded her arms and tapped her foot.

"What was that!?" Nick exclaimed, clearly amused.

"What?" Judy whined, "I fell asleep!"

"You were sleeping?" Nick asked with wide eyes of disbelief, "I thought you were dead!" He let out another laugh.

"Bunnies can be heavy sleepers!" Judy retorded.

"Who's stereotyping now?" Nick smirked, "And what was, 'Officer Hopps, Sir!' about?" He imitated.

"None of your business, fox." Judy growled, but with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Honey Bunny." Nick swooped up Judy and gave her a kiss as she punched his wrists to get down (as much as she enjoyed the moment of affection, however).

"Come on, Nick. We need to focus, we have to find that neighbor."

* * *

Judy and Nick searched high and low, asking fellow animals about Mr. Manchas.

However, every animal they met didn't know anything about Mr. Manchas, nor did they notice any suspicious activity within the last week. The file case didn't spare the team any valuable information either. It was an exact copy of Emmett Otterton's case, no leads, no sightings, nothing (except for the call from the neighbor). Judy might has well have thrown out the documents, there was not a single clue of help to be given from it, there weren't even pictures. Judy and Nick ultimately decided to split up to make everything go faster, but neither one was having any luck. But they didn't dismay just yet, as they had parked farthest away from Manchas' home and had a plan to work their way towards there. Perhaps the closer they got, the more folk would know. They haven't even gotten to inspect the neighbor yet.

Time went by with still no luck, even though Nick and Judy were slowly approaching Manchas' home. Almost all of the citizens didn't even know of Manchas, and everyone never suspected a thing at any time. The two officers kept coming to dead ends with empty hands, the only thing the two could do was keep moving and praying for an answer.

It got to a point where Judy and Nick could see Manchas' house and they weren't getting anything.

Judy had exited out of a house with a large groan, that was the 136th house on her part and nothing. It was 9:42 in the late evening now, her and Nick had spent over six hours on bankrupt. Together, her and Nick had covered every single house within Manchas' neck of the forest. There was only one house left... the one closest to Machas.

"Judy!"

Nick's voice rang out and Judy's ears perked up instantly, but she couldn't tell where is came from. Next thing she knew, she saw a blur of red fall from the sky and crash land into a bush. Apparently, Nick the a genius idea and decided to get over to Judy's area by becoming a temporary monkey and swinging on the vines. Of course, the vine broke and Judy wouldn't be surprised if a bone of Nick's broke as well. Judy ran over to where Nick had crashed and was relieved to see that he was alright... for someone who just fell at least ten feet.

"Oh my gosh, Nick, are you okay?" Judy said with concern.

"Yup... I'll live." Nick heaved as he shakily got to his feet, "Saved by the bush, but that's gonna leave a mark."

Judy couldn't help but suppress a small giggle and fight the urge to kiss Nick. That was easy to fight off by reminding herself that today was a total failure.

Judy sighed, she didn't even need to ask-

"I didn't find anything." Nick moaned.

"One last place to check." Judy said with a heavy heart. She looked at Nick who sighed.

The two just held their heads high and walked over to the last house and pretended to act as fresh as a daisy. Both of them plastered on friendly-peachy-keen-smiles as Judy knocked the door.

A toucan opened the door.

Judy smiled and recited her line that she had repeated at least 136 times within the past six hours, "Hello, sir. My name is Judy Hopps and this is my partner, Nick Wilde. We are from the ZPD and we would like to ask you a few questions about Mr. Manchas-"

"You mean that black panther that died a couple days ago?" The toucan cut in, his Spanish accent audible.

Judy and Nick let out startled laughs of relief, this had to be one of the best comments they've received.

"Yes! Sir, are you the neighbor that found the body called the department?" Judy asked with haste.

"You mean did I actually find Manchas dead? Oh, heavens no! No, I didn't call the department!" The toucan's feathers bristled with fear, it was pretty evident that he was not the one.

Judy and Nick's hopes fell flat to the floor.

"Oh," Judy mumbled, "but do you know anything about Mr. Manchas?"

"No ma'am, not really. Just that he used to live in that house over there-" the toucan pointed past Judy's ears, "and that he really never did much."

Judy swallowed her disappointment, "Okay, thank you for your time. That is all."

"Well, sorry I couldn't be much help. Goodbye!" With that, the toucan shut his door.

Judy fell to her knees with defeat. She was so positive that she would at least find _somebody_ that actually knew something. Now she was only more confused. "It doesn't make any sense," she whispered, "who called in? Who would even care to kill Mr. Manchas if nobody has ever heard of him?" Judy then felt a tender paw on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Judy. We'll figure it out." Nick stated with a smile as he offered his hand to her which she gratefully took.

But Judy had a solid point. Who called in? There were three options: (1) Somebody had lied to them about it not being them, (2) they missed someone, and (3)... maybe the murderer had called in. Actually, as scary as the third option was, it could make sense. But the problem to solve then was _why?_ Why would the murderer want to call into the police and attract attention onto his (or her) own bad deed? Did the murderer want to be found? Unless... the murderer knew exactly what he was doing and _knew_ he (or she) wouldn't get caught. If so, then what was the murderer's motive? There was a way to solve this, they could log the call and track down the number and start from there. But before Nick could relay his thought process onto Judy, she had bolted off somewhere. It seemed as if she had remembered something.

"Team 5! Delgato, Grizolli and Joe!" Judy yelled back to Nick who was trying to keep up, "They were ordered to cover the house, maybe they found something!" Judy's eyes sparked with energy as if it was 5:30 in the morning again.

When Judy arrived at Manchas' home with a breathless Nick just by her side, she hollered without warning, "Team 5 of the ZPD! It's Officers Hopps and Wilde!" She was so loud, that her voice silenced the crickets that were singing at this time of night.

No answer.

"Where's there car?" Nick spoke up with confusion, a frown on his face as he examined the area around them, "They would have had to get one to reach here."

Curious, Judy did a limbo underneath the yellow police tape which guarded the house and cracked open the front door. Without a doubt, there was no one in there.

"Team 5, come in. This is Team 6: Officers Hopps and Wilde, do you read me?" Nick spoke into his walkie-talkie, but the other line was completely silent. Nick tried again, but he got no answer.

Judy came back from the house and thought, "They're probably back at the ZPD, it's late. We should head back too."

"You're right." Nick nodded, "And if the Chief wants us too, we'll try again tomorrow."

The officers took a moat back to the entrance of the neighborhood and took the motorbike back to the station. Nick had wanted to teach Judy how to drive, but she was not up to the task. On the way back to the office, the two couldn't help but vent and complain about their interviews. They had a good laugh, at least it lifted their spirits and made time go by faster. It was around eleven by the time they got to the department and nobody was there. If there were any teams left, they would be at their stations, but certainly Chief Bogo was in his office. Judy and Nick walked to the conference room and saw that all of the teams were there, all of them wearing worried expressions and whispering about something.

All teams except Team 5.

"What's the hush about?" Nick asked openly.

"Where's Team 5?" Judy wondered out loud, noticing three certain predators were missing.

Chief Bogo who was standing at his podium with a grim expression spoke up, "Officer Hopps, Wilde."

"Yes, sir?" Judy said as she and her partner walked up to the podium.

"Do you have any whereabouts of Team 5?" Bogo asked in an almost desperate voice.

"N-no, sir." Judy stuttered, passing anxious glances with everyone, not certain what was happening, "That's why we came here. We were wondering if they had come back here-"

Chief Bogo banged his fist on the podium, letting out a harsh grunt of frustration.

Judy shut up immediately and looked at Nick, they got horribly bad vibes from this.

"What's wrong, Chief?" Judy hesitantly asked.

Bogo ran a hand over his eyes, "They're not here."

"Sir?" Nick yearned for a repeat, not believing his ears.

"Team 5: Delgato, Grizzoli and Joe are missing! They have not contacted us since their assigned mission. We tried calling them, the line is dead. We even tried reaching them on their cellphones, but no answer. Nobody has seen them since, they've gone without a trace..."

Judy and Nick's ears flopped down as their eyes widened with realization.

"Team 5 is MIA, they're gone and we have no clue where they are."

* * *

 **How's it going? Please leave a review and keep up your amazing support, it gives me motivation!:) Peace!**

 **-SkatingDJ**


	3. IMPORTANT: APOLOGY NOTE

Hello my little Music Mixers, DJ here:

First and foremost, I know I have claimed in my most recent ( _most recent,_ that does not mean _recently_ ) chapters that I would be getting back into the swing of things and updating more.

Well, that was clearly a blatant lie.

Now, all I can ask is you forgiveness. However, I'm not here to redeem myself. I am going to be brutally honest and say that I am not sure if I will be getting my stories finished anytime soon. As a matter of fact, recently, I've been worried if I will be completing them at all. But, I am just worried, I'm not giving up, I know that much; I made a promise that I would finish them to you, and I will. I myself want to finish what I created as well, I really, desperately do, but I know that words speak more than actions. And in my case, this is exceptionally true.

Lately, school has been ruthless, and my parents will freak if I'm not a straight A student. Also, I am an ice skater for a living. I devote half to almost my entire day doing that, and as a result, fall very behind in my work. I have gone through some major changes with my skating and so have my coaches and friends. It's been quite drama inducing and chaotic these past years for a lot of people in my life.

As you can see, I have not had much time to write and I began to develop a writing block... _a BIG one._

I just couldn't find it within myself to type on a document to tell a story anymore. I love to write and I still do it occasionally, but I got bored very quickly and couldn't find it within myself to give out pleasing content to you all. So, I wouldn't make the effort to finish it.

As of late, I have been involving myself in other fandoms, such as YouTube, TV shows, and PC games. Also, I've been thinking of ideas for original publications. I realized the ROTG (most of my fics) fandom is somewhat dead and I am not sure if you all are still with me. I know that popularity among my stories is not important, but it's almost as if I want to apologize to the people who have read my fics from years ago by posting chapters again... if they are still there.

I've always been one to constantly create new ideas for fics, even if they are entirely incomplete and I have not finished any of my other fanfics. And that's how my mind has been lately, but not a single day goes by without me regretting about not getting to this site.

Yes, call it laziness if you will.

But I want to finish this. All of my stories. I really do. I want to continue working on FanFiction.

But it's been a long time since July of 2014 when I was 13 years old. It's been 3 years and I'm now 16 and I'm very different than I was then.

What I would like to do is go back and rewrite _ALL_ of my fics. Think of it as a fresh start. For example, I have already done so with my "Unravel: The End" fic. And I know now that a lot of my ideas are already out there and have been used since I've waited so long.

I'm sorry.

Hopefully when things have settled down even more so I can gain more control in my life and not be so stressed out. Perhaps once summer comes I'll be a little more free. I do have plans and will be training more, but I think I'll be more motivated. Unfortunately, I am going to refrain from making any promises on getting to it asap, but I please find some solace in that I am still here and that I love to write, I have not forgotten you all.

After all, it's because of you guys why I love to write so much, and I can't thank you all enough for that.

I guess that wraps it up, pretty much...

Thank you all so much for reading, Peace!

-SkatingDJ


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